Are the floods coming? Talk to the Golden Spigot

In the middle of a drought, you might be conserving water at your house: You’re not watering your lawn. You’re careful with your showers. But somebody didn’t let the Santa Clara Valley Water District, fondly known here as the Golden Spigot, know quickly enough.
For the last month, the water district has been running an ad campaign – on radio, buses, newspapers and web sites – warning people that flood season is coming. The star is Charles “Chicken’’ Little, who appears under an umbrella with these cheery words: “You may remember me as that panicky bird who ran around yelling, the sky is falling. Well, after years of meditation, I’m now helping Santa Clara County residents prepare for flood season.’’
Here’s the problem: It’s been evident for some time that floods are not coming anytime soon. Needing to reserve ad space early, the district has spent $105,943 on the campaign so far, out of an original budget of $263,000. Lately, the district has been scaling back, and last week board chair Tony Estremera commended Gov. Jerry Brown for his declaration of emergency on the drought.
Does the water district know something we don’t about coming rain? A Golden Spigot spokesman, Marty Grimes, conceded that it does not. But Grimes said the flood campaign helps the district earn points in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program, which helps local cities qualify for reductions in flood insurance premiums. To which we can say only: The sky isn’t falling.